Them Crooked Vultures

[Torren61]

I watched Austin City Limits last night (Feb 13th 2010). 

I really dig Dave Grohl's work and Zeppelin has been in my top three bands list since I traded for Led Zeppelin III when I was 11 years old.  I liked QotSA song "No One Knows" but was pretty much unimpressed with the rest of Josh Hommes' work.

I gotta say... I thought Them Crooked Vultures were awful.  Not the playing.  The musicianship was spot on.  I didn't hear a flubbed note even once.  It's just that every song sounded the same. 

I don't get it.  Grohl writes so well but that crap sounded to me like he just wandered in from the street and sat in on the drums without a word of advice to the guy I suspect of being the lead song writer for the band... Hommes.

When I heard that TCV were forming, I thought this was going to be THE band to follow.   Sadly, this band is no Led Zeppelin, no Nirvana and no Foo Fighters.  Not that they were meant to be, either.  However, a group that forms from the elements of such Rock elite have expectations to fulfill. 

Here is where I think this band has gone wrong (for me, at least). 

First, I didn't hear any guitar hooks that grab you by the ears, whip your head around and DEMAND YOUR COMPLETE AND UNDIVIDED ATTENTION.  A few of songs to refresh one's memory would be "Rock and Roll", "Black Dog", "Heartbreaker", "Smells Like Teen Spirit", "Heart Shaped Box", "Monkey Wrench", "Everlong" and "All My Life".

Second, you gotta have songs.  I mean, it's fine to be quirky from time to time to let your artistic juices stretch out but the end game is to develop a following and keep your audience interested... isn't it?  If you can't keep a pre-determined fan like me interested then something is wrong.  I want songs that I can (or WANT to) sing with the recording.  Like "My Hero", "Times Like These", "One By One", "All Apologies", "Dumb", "Over The Hills and Far Away" and "Going to California".

Third, get a PROPER lead singer capable of being the front man for a group of this level of musicians.  Maybe even someone who can write songs, too.  Perhaps someone who can also play guitar so you don't call yourselves a trio yet have some other dude sit in, play guitar and sing lead occasionally (Johann). Someone with charisma.  They could move Grohl from drums to lead singer/guitar and bring in Taylor Hawkins to take his spot OR they could grab up Andrew Stockdale from Wolfmother and shit-can Hommes.  Either way, there are no shortages of stellar singers out there who could fill the spot competently, I'm sure.

Whatever they do I hope that they just do something besides what they're doing now 'cause what they're doing now sucks.

That's my opinion.  For whatever it's worth to ya.   

[launched]

I love them - Saw them last fall. Fantastic show. For being in his 60's JPJ is one lively son of a gun. Not one disappointed looking soul on the floor. Definitely a player's band, though.

And you are right, the musicianship is spot on. Four of the best musicians you will ever see playing together in one spot. Alain Johannes is an abolute treat to watch.

You probably can't shitcan Homme, as he is one of the greatest singer/songwriters of modern times, and the logical frontman for this band. The Kyuss years were fantastic, and the first QOTSA album showed huge promise (I agree, R and the subsequent albums can be difficult to listen to, but that is usually the case with fresh and exciting material. His biggest mistake was to keep Nick Oliveri around).

Like I said before, it's a musician's band, a player's band.


Oh, and my obviously subjective and unbiased review of the show I saw at the House of Blues in Boston.  

[Torren61]

I respect you're you but I strongly disagree with most everything you've said.  I guess there are always going to be people who see the pretty young woman despite the clear evidence that it's an old witch, lol.

[launched]

Ha! Get back to your Travis Twitt!!   

[Blooby]

Like I said before, it's a musician's band, a player's band.

I just got back from a road trip and bought the disc in preparation for it.  I'm not sure I agree with your contention that it's a musician's band.  Yes, there are some quirky riffs, but it strikes me as noisy power pop.  I imagine it came across much better live, though.

Josh's choice of tones is interesting at times.  I'll give him that.

To be fair, I'll give it a week or two and try it again as it may have just been my mood.

Blooby

[launched]

I imagine it came across much better live, though.

A friend of mine bought the album, and was not entirely happy with it. He said that some of the material we heard at the show either did not appear on the album or was not adequately represented. So I didn't buy it. I'm assuming a live DVD/CD will come out soon, which is what I would be interested in anyway.

I think some people will be disappointed with TCV, probably due to the fact that there are little if any ties to blues rock or Led Zeppelin. But, if one goes back to "In Through the Out Door", I don't see how it was any surprise that JPJ no longer wanted to continue to rip off Willie Dixon for the remainder of his career.

I will have to defend the player's band statement, though - They wouldn't be dragging Johannes around with them otherwise. He wasn't even supposed to tour with them - A deciding factor to why I went to see them in the first place. And the fact that they managed to drag John Paul Jones out of his cocoon...

And you are right, it is noisy power pop, but far from "Hang on Sloopy" 

[Torren61]

It didn't come across well to me watching it as they performed it live and "noisy power pop" is a better discription than what I gave.  Josh's tones are interesting, yes.

Now, "get back to my Travis Tritt"... ?  That cuts me to the bone.  If I wasn't laughing so hard I would type you right in the nose, Mister.  

Here is the ENTIRE list of country songs that I like:

Joelene... Dolly Parton
If Tomorrow Never Comes... Garth Brooks
The Dance... Garth Brooks
No One Needs To Know Right Now...  Shania Twain
Angry All The Time... Bruce Robinson (not the Tim McGraw version)

Here is the list of the first six albums and eight tracks I paid for with my own money starting at age 11:

A Night At The Opera... Queen (eight track)
The Dark Side Of The Moon... Pink Floyd (eight track)
Wild Cherry... Wild Cherry (traded this eight track after one month for the next three albums on the list)
Innagoddadivita... Iron Butterfly
Chicago Transit Authority Live double album... Chicago Transit Authority
Led Zeppelin III... Led Zeppelin

I also owned a plethora of Beatles singles and by the time I was 13, I also had added "Bridge Of Sighs... Robin Trower" and (get this) "Over-Nite Sensation... Frank Zappa & The Mothers".

And to be QUITE honest... "Let Me Go", that was an accidental country song and I swear I don't even like my own tune. 

So there.  

[launched]

Ha, I did cross the line a little bit, but what's a rabid fan supposed to do?  I am definitely not knocking your country song, I thought it was good. And I have the highest respect for people that create their own music.

From what I hear, TCV's studio album was not the greatest, and I also agree that some of the live performances can look like they are way to into themselves. I saw them on SNL and got the same vibe as you. But seeing JPJ whip out his 12 string bass creature and play his mandolin solos was the shit, man. And the fact he can stay right with someone like Alain Johannes. Not to mention I was only 10 feet away from them in a small venue - That didn't hurt  Especially when you get eye contact from one of the worlds greatest musical legends.

It is cool that our "First Album" list is very similar. I wore a hole in DSOTM, Zep II, etc when I was younger. My Yes and Jethro Tull collection was probably a little fatter than yours, but I did have some Chicago - I played trombone in high school and owned quite a bit of brass backed music.

But, I did throw an old roomate of mine's Clint Black/Garth Brooks CD collection out on the freeway - I think it had something to do with "Low Places" and how many times someone should be allowed to play that song in one evening. That cost me $140 but it seemed like the right thing to do at the time...

[Torren61]

Ya HAD to remind me of "Low Places".  The only song to ever put me into an epileptic seizure... or was it the brown acid?  Who cares?

The point is that I know you were kidding and I love being able to disagree, discuss and still remain friends with people as intelligent and as passionate about music as myself.

Now the Jethro Tull and Yes collections... I'll bet you I had way more of those guys than you think I did.  In fact, I had "Time And A Word" when albums were still $3.99.

[launched]

Now I know what song to play to get under your skin!!

This was fun, and I'm glad you could enjoy a thought and ego provoking conversation.